Singing Through Advent
Wednesdays in December, at 7 pm.
Join Music Minister Dr. Dietrich Bartel and organist/liturgist Josh Zentner-Barrett for a three-part series on Wednesdays, December 3, 10 and 17 at 7:00 pm at All Saints Church. Designed for church musicians, choir members and congregants, this series will deepen your understanding of the wealth of sacred music dedicated to this season of mystery and introduce you to new ways of singing together!
Wednesday, December 3, 7 pm
Session 1: An Ancient Tradition.
We will look at the origins of the Advent season, and some of the early music that the Christian church used, including a hymn by St Ambrose, the Advent Prose, some medieval carols, as well as the “O Antiphons”.
Wednesday, December 10, 7 pm
Session 2: New Songs for Advent, with Josh Zentner-Barrett
Josh Zentner-Barrett is an organist, liturgist, and musical enlivener based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He is a PhD candidate in theology at Saint Paul University, in Ottawa, Ontario, a sessional instructor in organ at Canadian Mennonite University, and served on the committee that put together Then Let Us Sing!, the new song collection from The United Church of Canada. He is also an active member in liturgical development in the Anglican Church of Canada, serving on the Faith, Worship & Ministry standing committee, the steering committee of the National Anglican-Lutheran Worship Conference, and the Liturgical Advisory Committee.
About the workshop:
The last five years have seen a slew of new musical resources for churches, including Sing a New Creation, a supplement to Common Praise, in the Anglican Church of Canada. This supplement provides new music to expand and enliven congregational singing for Anglicans across Canada. It also provides new challenges for the singing community. In this workshop, we will explore some of the musical resources from Sing a New Creation, especially those related to the Advent season. We will discover new ways of singing together to enliven our prayer and praise to God. Be ready for much lively singing and reflective conversation.
Wednesday, December 17, 7 pm
Session 3: Lessons, Carols, and Processions.
The first Advent Procession with Carols at All Saints was held in 1953, the first such service held in Canada. It was introduced by H. Hugh Bancroft after he visited King’s
College Cambridge, where he experienced the annual Advent Carol service and then introduced the tradition to Canada at All Saints Church. The service has evolved since its beginnings at All Saints, something we will look at in this session.
